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[Linnaeus always referred to botanists as male.]
p. 329: (for the beginner) "He should prepare about
sixty descriptions of species by technical rules . . . "
pp. 330-331: describes how Linnaeus arranged a field
excursion.
pp. 332-333: (what to do when traveling) "The end
must be to depict nature more accurately than anyone
else."
REFERENCES
Stafleu, F. A. 1971. Linnaeus and the Linnaeans. A. Oosthoek's Uitgeversmaatschappij N.V. (for IAPT), Utrecht.
Stafleu, F. A., and R. S. Cowan. 1981. Taxonomic literature, 2nd edition,
Volume 3. Koeltz Scientific Publishing (for IAPT), Koenigstein.
Alex S. George, School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Murdoch
University, Perth WA 6150, Australia; E-mail: [email protected]
Syst. Biol. 55(3):536-538, 2006
Copyright © Society of Systematic Biologists
ISSN: 1063-5157 print / 1076-836X online
DOI: 10.1080/10635150600697572
variously circumscribed, but its most explicit definition
includes that part of the western United States with no
drainage to the oceans (Trimble, 1989). The region covered by the Intermountain Flora encompasses much of
this hydrographic Great Basin, but the Flora boundaries
are expanded to cover all of the state of Utah, much of
From snow-capped peaks to glimmering salt playas, Nevada, and neighboring parts of Oregon, California,
from red-rock canyons to mountain lakes and streams, Idaho, Wyoming, and Arizona; the extreme southern
the Intermountain region contains some of the most spec- part of Nevada and most of California south of Inyo
tacular and varied landscapes in North America, if not County are excluded. The area includes over 250,000
the world. It is a land of extremes of climate, geology, square miles (650,000 square kilometers). It is dominated
and flora. It is home to the oldest living organisms, the by sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) and chenopods in the
Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva), individual foothills and valleys; its southern boundary is drawn
trees of which can be over 4000 years old. Conversely, basically at the limit of communities dominated by cresome distinctive hybrid populations otAtriplex that some osote bush (Larrea tridentata). Although the total number
people consider to be incipient species have formed re- of species treated is not listed (and, because the flora is
cently (perhaps within the last 50 years) and represent not yet completed, cannot be enumerated), it must ex"evolution in action" (Stutz, 1984). The Intermountain ceed 4000 taxa; Utah alone has over 2700 indigenous
region contains some of the most charming wildflowers species (Welsh et al., 2003). Because of the high degree
(Penstemon, Calochortus, Mimulus, Aquilegia, among many of substrate endemism and, even today, the inaccessibilothers) as well as some of the most persistent invasive in- ity of many Intermountain sites, new records and even
troduced weeds (e.g., Bromus tectorum, or cheat grass, the undescribed species are to be expected.
'scourge of the West'). Perhaps the region is best exemThe genesis of the Intermountain Flora project was over
plified by the tough and bizarre salt-desert species such 50 years ago, and the first published volume in the series
as iodine bush, Allenrolfea occidentalis (Chenopodiaceae),dates from 1972 (Cronquist et al., 1972). Scores of noable to survive freezing winters and scorching summers, table botanists have contributed their expertise in writextreme drought, and salt concentrations of over 6%. In ing or reviewing taxonomic treatments, but the principal
all, it is a harsh yet magnificent land that harbors some authors who have shepherded the series through to the
of the most interesting plants on earth.
current volume are Noel and Patricia Holmgren and, unAll of these species, and more, are covered in the Inter- til his death in 1992, Arthur Cronquist. It is poignant that
mountain Flora series, a multivolume collaborative work Dr. Cronquist died in the herbarium at Brigham Young
that is the definitive taxonomic resource for plants of the University while working on treatments for the Interregion. The most recent volume is the seventh to be pub- mountain Flora.
lished out of eight planned to encompass the entire flora.
Volume 1 contains a classic introduction to the region,
When the Intermountain Flora is complete, it will rank with chapters on physiography, paleobotany, and geolas one of the finest regional floras for North American ogy, floristic divisions and vegetation zones, along with
plants.
a chapter on botanical exploration of the IntermounThe Intermountain region is in large part synony- tain West. This section is richly illustrated with maps
mous with the Great Basin, an area bounded on the and photographs of physical features and plant associawest by the Sierra Nevada, on the north by the Snake tions, but a particular treat is the inclusion of portraits or
River, on the east by the Rocky Mountains, and on the photographs of prominent botanical explorers ranging
south by the Mojave Desert. The Great Basin itself is from N. J. Wyeth and Thomas Nuttall to contemporary
Intermountain Flora. Vascular plants of the Intermountain West,
U.S.A. Volume 2, Part B. Subclass Dilleniidae.—Noel H. Holmgren,
Patricia K. Holmgren, and Arthur Cronquist. 2005. New York
Botanical Garden Press, New York. 488 pp. ISBN 0-89327-469-0 US$100
(hardback).
2006
BOOK REVIEWS
537
botanists such as Stan Welsh. Each volume begins with developed. However, only those botanists intimately acevocative photos of the principal authors or contribu- quainted with Cronquist's subclasses will be able to
tors, and these are a veritable who's-who of Western navigate the volumes and remember what families are
American botany. The most recent volume, 2B, continues included in each. A welcome addition to the future
this tradition with four wonderful photographs: Rupert Volume 2A would be an index to volumes and famiBarneby standing out in the desert steppe with soaring lies printed in an easily accessible place, such as the
mesas in the distance; Arthur Cronquist, complete with inside front cover. Genera and species are arranged in
cowboy hat, hand lens, and field guide, wading through "evolutionary" order according to putative relationships
a field of knee-high vegetation; and contemplative pho- rather than in alphabetical order. Unfortunately, this featos of Leo Hitchcock and Arthur Holmgren writing in ture requires many trips to the Index to locate particular
their field books. One hopes that the final volume will taxa.
feature at least one photo of stalwart author and editor
The families and genera treated in this flora are often
Pat Holmgren, who has not yet appeared in the photo- traditionally circumscribed and/or follow Cronquist's
graphic pantheon.
taxonomic concepts. Thus, many do not reflect some of
Following the introductory chapters, Volume 1 begins the radical rearrangements that have taken place as a
with treatments of the seedless vascular plants and gym- result of further, often molecular, study. For instance,
nosperms. Volume 2A will be the last to be published and in Volume 2B the Tiliaceae is treated as separate from
will include treatments of the Magnoliidae, Hamameli- the Malvaceae, Cardaria is distinct from Lepidium, and
dae, and Caryophyllidae sensu Cronquist (1981). This Samolus remains in the Primulaceae. However, new data
volume is eagerly awaited, as it will treat the Chenopo- and the APG recommendations are incorporated into
diaceae and Polygonaceae, both notoriously difficult, some taxa, such as the recognition of Cleomaceae as disspecies-rich families in the Intermountain West. The cur- tinct from Capparaceae, the sinking of Lesquerella into
rent volume, 2B, contains treatments of subclass Dilleni- Physaria, the use of the name Noccaea for the former
idae sensu Cronquist, including significant families such Thlaspi montana, and the deconstruction of Arabis with
as Malvaceae, Loasaceae, Salicaceae, Ericaceae, and Bras- placement of most of the North American species in
sicaceae. Volume 3A treats the Rosidae sensu Cronquist Boechera.
With eight hardbound volumes weighing in (thus far)
except for Fabaceae. Volume 3B is entirely devoted to
the legumes, with the majority of the treatments writ- at about 10 kg (22 lb), the Intermountain Flora is not a
ten by Rupert Barneby. Volume 4 covers the Asteridae backpackable field guide. The price of US$350 for the
except Asteraceae, including families such as the Lami- seven published books will probably be beyond the budaceae, Scrophulariaceae, and Boraginaceae. Volume 5, get of students or casual wildflower observers. Neverby Cronquist, is a godsend for us western botanists, theless, every one of these volumes belongs on the shelf
as it covers all of the Asteraceae, on which Cronquist of anyone with an interest in identifying plants of westwas a taxonomic authority. Volume 6 contains all of the ern North America. Although the existing state floras for
Wyoming and Utah (Dorn, 2001; Welsh et al, 2003) are
monocots.
The taxonomic presentation is consistent throughout up-to-date, comprehensive, and useful, only the flora of
all of the volumes and is of the highest standard. In ad- the Pacific Northwest (Hitchcock et al., 1955-1969) and
dition to keys and complete descriptions of all genera the indispensable Jepson Manual for California (Hickman,
and species, at least one line drawing, or more often a 1993) approach the Intermountain Flora in terms of usercomposite, illustrates each species. For the most part, friendliness, overall quality, and completeness.
As a botanist who frequently works in tropical areas
these drawings are of exquisite quality, and render the
Intermountain Flora the gold standard for identification where no floras exist, I am delighted to have this wonof any species found in the area. The synonymy and dis- derful resource available to identify the plants in my own
tributional information are quite complete and extend Great Basin backyard. The authoritative taxonomic treatcoverage to areas outside the flora region proper. Inter- ments and keys, coupled with the excellent illustrations,
esting tidbits on history, uses, and even poetic tributes make this series a valuable resource not only for Inter(see Populus tremuloides) are sprinkled throughout the mountain botanists but also for those of adjacent areas.
commentary, making for much more interesting read- One can only hope that future floristic works will achieve
ing than your typical taxonomic treatment. The all- such a high standard of quality as that displayed by the
important ruler is provided at the end of the book, with Intermountain Flora. This is truly an outstanding series,
maps of the Intermountain states, counties, and floristic and a worthy tribute to the long-term efforts of the Holmgrens and Dr. Cronquist in bringing the Intermountain
regions on the inside front and back covers.
The families included in each volume correspond to Flora to fruition.
Cronquist's (1981) subclasses and orders, a situation that
may frustrate followers of the Angiosperm Phylogeny
REFERENCES
Group (APG, 1998; APGII, 2003; Stevens, 2001) or similar
recent classification systems for flowering plants at and APG (K. Bremer, M. W. Chase, and P. F. Stevens, eds.) 1998. An ordinal
classification for the families of flowering plants. Ann. Missouri Bot.
above the family level. This arrangement is defensible
Garden 85:531-553.
because the Intermountain Flora project and publication APG II (B. Bremer, K. Bremer, M. W. Chase, J. L. Reveal, D. E. Soltis, P.
of volumes began long before the APG system was
S. Soltis, and P. F. Stevens, eds.) 2003. An update of the Angiosperm
538
SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY
Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 141:399-436.
Cronquist, A. 1981. An integrated system of classification of flowering
plants. Columbia University Press, New York.
Cronquist, A., A. H. Holmgren, N. H. Holmgren, and J. L. Reveal. 1972. Intermountain flora: Vascular plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A., Volume 1. New York Botanical Garden,
New York.
Dorn, R. D. 2001. Vascular plants of Wyoming, 3rd edition. Mountain
West Publishing, Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Hickman, J. C. (ed.) 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of
California. University of California Press, Berkeley, California.
Hitchcock, C. L., A. Cronquist, M. Ownbey, and J. W. Thompson.
1955-1969. Vascular plants of the Pacific Northwest. University
of Washington Publications in Botany, Volume 17. University of
Washington Press, Seattle, Washington.
VOL. 55
Stevens, P. F. 2001 onwards. Angiosperm Phylogeny website. Version
6, May 2005 (and more or less continuously updated since then).
http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/Apweb/.
Srutz, H. C. 1984. A tour of chenopods in western Utah. Pages 2-11
in Proceedings: Symposium on the biology of Atriplex and related
chenopods (A. R. Tiedemann, E. D. McArthur, H. C. Stutz, R. Stevens,
and K. L. Johnson, eds.). General Technical Report 1NT-172. U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and
Range Experiment Station, Ogden, Utah.
Trimble, S. 1989. The sagebrush ocean: A natural history of the Great
Basin. University of Nevada Press, Reno, Nevada.
Welsh, S. L., N. D. Atwood, S. Goodrich, and L. C. Higgins. 2003. A
Utah flora, 3rd edition. Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.
Lynn Bohs, Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
84112, USA; E-mail: [email protected]